Words are necessary, and so words prevail. It is common knowledge, of course, that language binds people; however, language is more than just a form of power— it’s a currency like no other. In her talk, Ashley Davis explores the unmatched privilege that linguistics affords across culture, race, socioeconomic status, and creed.

A Cincinnati, Ohio, native, Ashley has identified as an educator for her entire life. In her current role as a Boston Public School principal fellow through the Lynch Leadership Academy, Ashley serves as an assistant principal at the Pauline A. Shaw Elementary School in Mattapan, where she focuses on building stakeholder capacity through culturally responsive instruction and practices. Before this school year, she served for five years as a ninth-grade English teacher, cheerleading coach, and mentor at Match Charter Public High School. In 2016, Ashley's classroom was profiled by the New York Times in an opinion piece titled "More Awkward than a 9th Grader." In 2015, Ashley graduated with her Master of Effective Teaching from the Sposato Graduate School of Education and in 2013 with her Bachelor of English Literature & Journalism from Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution. She is also affiliated with the Breakthrough Collaborative, Minds Matter: Boston, and is a lifelong member of the prestigious Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx